Continuous rotary pressure or vacuum filter



Oct. 13, 1953 J. w. LITTLE CONTINUOUS ROTARY PRESSURE OR VACUUM FILTER Filed Jan. 31, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

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Oct 13, 1953 J. w. LITTLE CONTINUOUS ROTARY PRESSURE oR VACUUM FILTER Filed Jan. 31, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 avm. `v

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s .w Rn@ t mW k1 M E n ww` r IM H o J J. W. LI'TTLE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENToR. dew/v w. L/rru:

HTTORNEYS coNT'INUoUs ROTARY PRESSURE oR VACUUM FILTER Filed Jan. 51, 1949 Oct. i3, 1953 Oct. 13, 1953 .1.w. LITTLE CNTINUOUS ROTARY PRESSURE OR VACUUM FILTER Filed Jan. 51, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. JOHN 0V. L/TT'LL J. w. LITTLE y 2,655,265

CONTINUOUS ROTARY PRESSURE OR VACUUM FILTER Filed Jan. 3l, 1949 Oct. 13, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 XI I v INVENTOR.

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Oct. 13, 1953 J. w. LITTLE CONTINUOUS ROTARY PRESSURE OR VACUUM FILTER Filed Jan. 31. 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. l 10H/V W. LITTLE Fig. 2 is an elevational view looking toward the left hand end of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end View opposite to that of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus, the drum being shown somewhat diagrammatically with parts omitted for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the filter with parts broken away and in section;

Fig. G is a perspective view of the lower half of one of the trunnion bearings;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the lower half of a trunnion bearing;

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view showing one of the lter compartments;

Fig. 9 is a. longitudinal sectional view, similar to Fig. 4 and showing a modified form of my invention;

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional View showing my invention as applied to a leaf type filter; and

Fig. l1 is a longitudinal sectional View of the lter shown in Fig. 10 and taken along the line XI-XI of Fig. 10.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly Figs. 1 to 5 thereof, my improved filter comprises a closed cylindrical casing I0, which may be divided, as shown, along a horizontal plane above its longitudinal axis, the upper and lower portions being flanged as shown at Il and I2 and joined together by means of bolts I3. Suitable supporting members I6 are rigidly connected to the casing along the sides and at the ends whereby they rnay rest on a suitable foundation, not shown. Material to be filtered is introduced into the casing through an opening- I1 in the bottom. Openings I8 and I9 are provided in the ends of the casing, below the dividing plane thereof in which openings are mounted the drive means, the filtrate valve, and the lower portions of the bearing supports, in a manner to be described later.

Mounted within the casing is a drum 2I which has closed ends and which is divided longitudinally about its periphery into segmental compartments by means of longitudinal strips 22 and 23 over which is provided a suitable filtering medium, indicated generally by the number 24. A multiplicity of filtering compartments is thus provided, to each of which is connected a plurality of pipes 2E, 21, for the withdrawal of filtrate and the ushing out of the compartments in the manner well understood. For the sake of clarity, only two of such pipes are shown, it being well understood in the art that a plurality of pipes will be connected to each compartment.

Extending outwardly from the ends of the drums are hollow trunnions 23 and 29. The pipes, such as 26 and 21 from each compartment are connected into pipes 30 and 30a which terminate in a plate 32 in the end of the trunnion 29. A wear plate 3l is secured to the plate 32 by screws 35 and is provided with openings registering with the ends of the pipes 30 and 30a in the trunnion 29.A The opposite end of the trunnion 28 is closed byrneans of a plate 33.

As shown in the drawing, Fig. 4, the casing I0 is provided with outwardly dished heads 34 and 36. The lower halves of the heads, 34a and 36a, are reinforced by means of a plurality of gussets 31 and 38, and vertical plates 39 and 4I extend across the lower part of the casing and are joined respectively to the inner edges of the gussets 31 and 38. Mounted in each of the openings I3 and I9, and supported on the plates 39 and 4 I, at their inner ends, are the lower halves of trunnion bearing supports 42 and 43. As shown more clearly in Fig. 6i, each of said portions of trunnion bearing supports terminates at its outer end in a ring 44 which is xedly mounted in the opening, as by welding. The lower half of the bearing support is provided with relatively thick anges 46 and 41 and the upper halves 48 of each of the bearing supports is provided with flanges 49, indicated in dotted lines, which are joined to the flanges of the lower halves by means of studs 5 I. The bearings 52 are preferably renewable in their supports and are held in place in the supports by means of dowels 53 which engage partly the supports and partly the bearing half. By the arrangement just described, it will be seen that the trunnion bearings are entirely inside the outer casing and should it become necessary to remove the drum from the casing, it is only necessary that the upper portion of the casing and the upper halves of the bearing supports be removed, and drive means, later to be described, disconnected, whereupon the drum may he lifted from the casing.

Mounted on and supported from the ring 44 of the lower bearing half 43, is a filter valve 50 through which filtrate and wash is withdrawn from the various compartments of the filter assembly and the compartments are hushed in av manner well understood. The lter valve 50 is not described with particularity because it forms no part of my present invention, except as to its mounting, and support attachments. The arrangement of the ports in the valve, and the operation thereof may be such, for example, as that described in the patent to Henry M. Hunter, No. 2,174,748, dated August 29, 1944, and assigned to Gruslin-Birmingham Manufacturing Company. The valve 50 is provided with an outer ange 53a, which is xedly secured to the ring 44 of the bearing 43 by means of studs 54. Filtrate, wash, air, gas, or vapor are discharged or admitted from or to the valve 50 through outlets similar to that shown at 56, as is well understood. It is well understood also that for the proper operation of the filter valve 50, the rwear plate 3l, on the end of the trunnion 29, must form a fluid tight engagement with the inner face of the valve, `and it is necessary that the lter assembly and the valve 53 be biased or pressed toward each other in order to maintain such uidtight engagement. 1n order to accomplish this purpose, I provide on the opposite end of the drum, from the nitrate valve 50, a housing 51 having a flange 58 extending therearound which is joined to the ring 44 of the bearing support 42 by means of studs 53. Inclosed within the housing 51 is an annular cylinder 6I having a piston 62 mounted therein with suitable packing 63 extending therearound, and bearing against the walls of the cylinder. At the inner end of the piston 32 is a wear plate G4 which is secured to plate 33 on the outer end of the trunnion 28. Fluid under pressure is admitted to the cylinder BI through a pressure connection 665, whereby the piston serves to press the filter assembly towards the ltrate valve 53. The wear plate 3i is thus maintained in iiuidtight engagement with the inner face of the filtrate valve 50 by reason of the pressure in the cylinder 6|. Should there be any leakage between the wear plate 3I and the iilter valve, it occurs within the casing where it can do no particular harm. The piston 52 is splined into the housing 51, as shown at 65, to prevent its rotation.

Extending through the center of the housing 51 is a drive shaft (i1 which is splined, at its inner efd inte a sdcketf 68.: forme'di in. thel end ofi tltrhhiena N suitable bearingbushingffs; providedin the housing 51 to supportthef drivreA slfaft';` Thej shaftL isi furthersupportedi b'yfmeane off al' beariiigl 1|? mountedi in' a'. support. 1r2=i conz. ectedtothe endof the-fcasingl The-shaft f'lr'isf extended beyondl the bearing.: sinapiortfl 1%' so? thatv any?coriventiona'ldrive'assembly'may'beattachedi thereto as to the sprocket 13. In order to reduce; futuonto' aiminimumpand tosaiczimmaintailung af fluidti'ght engagement. between-2l the inner? endt off the piston' 62* and thewe'ar. plate.' 643.1. provide:- means for supplying lubricant to` theZ engaging; tacesthereot.- This.' means' comprises l tub'ef14 which extends through the-'housingi 51' and?. inter; thef'piston 62' to connect to a-passage 1'6 thereinl le'adir'lgl'tcrv groovev 18 infthe; inner' face ofc theT piston". It is contemplatedlthata relatively heavy lubricant will be employed which# acts noti. only. tol lubricate but' as a packing meansz-betweenttne Wearing faces. Similar lubricating.- 1neans;..not. shown, may be employed between otherfwearing surfacesinside the` casing.

The pressure on the'` inside andv outside. of'- the drum' is equalizedi by' means of a' central' opening 1|!l inthe plates- 32 andvk 3|-,. which' communicatesI Witliacavity 15T inthe iilter valve" 50. A pipe' Bl' connects the' cavity 15 with.' the casing above the lid'uid level.

Fron'r the foregoing description of' thea-rrarig'ey mentvof the casingl and bearings, it will be seen' that I have obviated the necessity of heavy' truni-y nion stulng boxes and= have practically climi;f hated the danger of leakage outside' the casing; |02 While it iscontemplated that the' piston: 62 will' be in fluid tight engagement withv the.' wear platel G4; Where valuable'or disagreeable fluids are employed' within the casing' I0, in. order' to insure against any possible escape thereof around; theE drilve shaft, it maybe desirabl'eto provide a-small st'uiingbox,v or packingy T9', to.' surround-the drive' shaft 61 where it emerges fromthe housing I n operation, it is contemplated thatlthemate rial to be filtered will be main-tained; by any' suitable means",l not shown=,- at a suitable',- constant levelinthe casing,A the cakei being: forrri'ed` on the filter compartments while they are submerged,t The drlum 2*' |v rotates inthe' direction indicated by; the arrow in Fig. 5. Located within the'.l casing Il@ are the usual'` spray pipes 8| tl'irough which is circulated a suitable washingi or solvent liquidi which serves te washtne @also the nner' surface as it travels withv the drum. At 8@ is shown a scraper for removing the cake; whic 'is' pressed againstA the by ineens of a; Vspr-ing 8@ and which discharges the cake into a screw' c trough 84 located wholly within th Preferably; the conveyor is* one provided h mixed flights St and a spray' pipe 81j may" be ployd to soften the cake or" render inorel'iduidl in formbeforeA it is discharged. The conveyor' di? is' driven from one end by incansof' sprocket 88 and' terminates at its outer' end discharge conduit 99'. Where mly improved filter is. ein# ployed to' operate at a' pressure above. attr-lospraterie'l in the casing |11,v some' means must' be employed in' the outlet' conduit torestrict. the discharge of the cake whereby to maintain the pressure in the casing. I have indicated, cliagraInmatically,v a gear pump 9|. which may be used for this purpose; though. any other suitable meansI may' be erml ployed, many of which suggest themselves to; those skilled in the art.

Referring now to' Fig. 9 of the. drawing' whered I to. the? ends ot. they casi-nga;v

munching-inventions: @nlntlbsafeazturesrlwlrchi dier from those ali-radine'describe@will;breite@= ferred;toimthefdescriptiom.thereon.. Inraccordariseswith;` tlnsf maximisation,... it is: contemplated th'atfthefdrnm .Zdatwillzbe constructed inzthef-samei mannen' that;- already described; and be; prrr-fvidedewitn trunnions; 2 Barend; 2 Sais-extending@ outs-- wardly frorn; the?- end'sf thereof; .which are.. closed.l byimeans or; plates; cfand; 33a: In,accordance with. this. modicat-ionjthe riiifunnion'e bearings 92'; and 935 are inf' the: fcrmeof. conventional; divided sleeve?v bearings; which! are: supported on.` cross; iemand.cwhcmirntnrn;extendiacrossandf. areisupported o'n-, the-igussets: 3 1a; and-f 3.8m. joined; The casina ma; isf pnorid'ed with: assnele'end openi-ng 9:11' ine-whichifs. fitted;zulfra'vy;r1n@v 98s. infiltrate; -valve f9.9 fisgproL-.u videdI with fauperipheizalf.flange;l IM and is; secured to.:tnerringl etbyfmeanstof studs` |022 Lprcvide: iii.' this rrio'diiica-tion` ai wear: plate l103= which? is: secured to the; end closure-:32m bymeansof. bolts; IME.. Af.. threaded socket.; |06; is.y formed: in the; outer? face? ofithewear plates |0931'- centrally theres or: to receivef a. drittev sha-ttfy |01- which. extends; through. the filtrate: Valve; 99 as; shown. Thee. shaft', |01 isdriven byfmeans'o'f azworm'; |08.' and worrnige'ar' |09.L onfthcouterf.' end tlfiereof. Thea worm: and gear just.; described. are.' suppqori'fed;` inA a'housing; whichf includesf; and has mounted therein; an antifricltionsbearinga |;'|"2'1 for thef shaft f0.1'. Pressurefmay be: equalia'ed. between the in-- si'de andtheoutsideof thefdrunig inth-is modifirf cat-ion; by meansoff aI centralLopening; till" in the. Guten end of the. trunnion'. iiw.l

orderv to: biasy th'effi'lter assembly. toward`r the; lten valve 99,1 provide afheavyy spring |il3 which surrounds. the" shaft Mk1 and. which' bears ata its outerend againstai collar' l'zlt: on the shaft. and: at. itsl inner' end against a. sleeve Isl.- which sur'-l rounds lthei shaftl and which bearsv against. a thrust.4 b'earing |i|1`v resting against, the. outer' face, or the filtrat'e'valve' 99';

In Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawing, I showmy invention as applied to f a' continuous, rotary, disc type filter;v Asn isf welk. understood', this, type. of' lter embodies a pluraiityo' discs I' |.`5.',. each corn.-v prising a plurality of segmental type' filter sectorsl I-Bf mounted; on: a relatively large shaft H9 hating suitable'passages' |124: therein for the-'withcured' t6- the" shaft. by means of." tie bolts; |22: and filtratev is? withdrawn from each of the sections by linear-1s of a; hollow.E neck, or nipple- |2'3, which communicates with its:` associated' passage' |21' wardly at its' ends: from; the' ends. of the assemblyl to forni trunnions |24 and |'26 for the support of' the assembly. bearings, the filtrate valve, and' the drive' shaf't, are similiar to those already' described in connection with Fig. 4 of the draw-v andf do' not' reduiretobe repeated. I show, l'iovvever",4 a modiii'ed form of means to bia-s the drunl towardlthe ltrat'e" valve Eil'. In this modic'ation,v instead oi introducing uid' pressure directly into 'diev cylinder" 6| to act on the annular piston 61,. place in thecylinder an expansible annular tube |l2 which, mayv be made of rubber or other suitable material'. I may introduce duid pressure into@ the; tube through a val-ve 25 which passes. through the outer wall of the housing.. The tube 14a through which lubricant from the annular piston 6,2, introduced, in this instance passes through one side or the. annularv cylinder in I show a further modified forni of 'e'mbodi 75' It and comnnmicates with. a passage 16e which acceptsA extends' angularly through the piston 62 -to communicate with the groove 18. i

In accordance with this modification, the lower half of the casing is provided with longitudinal and transverse partitions which form passages through which the ltering discs move on one side of the casing. As shown, in Fig. l0, the longitudinal partition members |27 are joined at the bottom to the casing and extend upwardly to a point opposite the center of the hollow shaft H9. Transverse partition members |28 and |29 are joined to the longitudinal partition member at each of the discs and cooperate therewith to form passages 13| for the discs H5. The transverse partition members, as shown in Fig. 1G, are joined to the longitudinal member l2? and at their outer edges to the casing, and extend upwardly to a point on a level with the center of the hollow shaft i I9. Carried by the upper edge of each of the transverse partitions |28 andY 29 is a scrapper |32 which bears against its associated disc to remove the cake therefrom. The cake falls into the pockets formed by the longitudinal transverse partitions between the passages |3| through which the discs H5 rotate.

Material to be ltered is introduced into the bottom of the casing through a conduit |33, in front of the longitudinal partition i2?. The calze falling into the pockets formed by the transverse and longitudinal partitions falls into a conveyor trough |34 having therein a conveyor i3d, driven from one end of the casing by means of a sprocket |36. The trough |34 is covered where it passes through the passages |31 by means of a plate 531| in each instance. The conveyor |35 is provided with right and left hand flights lSa and lb'b, respectively, to move the cake discharge into the pockets toward the center Where it is discharged through a conduit |39. Suitable apparatus, not shown, may be connected to the discharge outlet |35, as indicated in Fig. 11 of the drawing, for preventing loss of pressure from Within the filter casing.

In all other respects, the filter shown in Figs. l `and l1 of the drawing operates and is constructed similar to those shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawing.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have devised an improved filter which is applicable either to a drum of a disc type lter operating under either superatmospheric or subatmospheric pressure, and by means of which the stuffing boxes heretofore employed are eliminated, thereby eliminating leakage and decreasing the frictional load on the filter. The ltrate valve being rigidly connected'to the casing provides means whereby the discharge connections to the valve do not cause misalignment, thereby greatly reducing the danger of leakage around the valve. Any leakage between the valve and the wear plate on the end of the trunnion occurs within the casing; and where noxious gases are employed, eliminates danger from that source.

In the preferred form, the lower halves of the bearing supports, being rigidly fixed to the ends of the outer casing, may be line bored for accuracy and ease of assembly and the bearings are easily renewed and repaired. Furthermore, the arrangement of the bearings and their supports renders the filter assembly easily removed from and replaced in the casing, it being necessary only to remove the upper portion of the casing and the upper halves of the bearings, and to Withdraw the drive shaft 61 from the socket B8. The design further permits the forming of a shell sin .ai cylindrical shape, thereby to withstandr greater pressure and providing added strength for the casing.

It will be apparent also from the foregoing description that my invention is equally applicable to rotary iilter assemblies which are not divided into a multiplicity of lter compartments, such for example, as the well known Vallez type filter.

While a closed filter casing has been illustrated, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that an open casing may be used in filters operating under vacuum.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a continuous rotary iilter, a rotary iilter assembly including a multiplicity of filter compartments, trunnions on the ends of the assembly, a cylindrical liquid receiving casing Wholly inclosing the assembly including the trunnions and having an opening in each end thereof, bearings for the trunnions each including a lower half having a ring portion surrounding the adjacent opening in the casing and xedly secured thereto so as to form. an integral part thereof, an upper half for each bearing removably mounted on the lower half, means to Withdraw filtrate from the compartments through the trunnion at one end of the assembly, a filtrate valve disposed to cooperate with said last mentioned trunnion and having a flange portion nxedly connected to the ring portion of the adjacent bearing, and means to urge the iilter assembly bodily toward the ltrate valve and thereby hold the valve and the end of the associated trunnion in iiuidtight engagement.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim l in which the drive shaft extends through the filtrate valve, and a spring surrounds the drive shaft and coacts between the valve and a collar provided on the drive shaft to bias the assembly toward the filtrate valve.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the means to hold the valve and its associated trunnion in Iiuidtight engagement comprises a cylinder mounted in the opening in the casing at the opposite end from the valve and closing said opening, a piston in the cylinder bearing against the trunnion at that end, and means to apply pressure to the piston.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which an expansible annular tube is disposed within the cylinder, and in which a pressure connection extends through the housing into the tube.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which the cylinder and piston are annular in form and in which a drive shaft for the filter assembly extends through the cylinder and piston and is operatively connected to the associated trunnion.

6. In a continuous rotary filter, a closed casing having end walls and forming a tank for the material to be iiltered, a rotary filter assembly having trunnions at each end thereof, one of said trunnions having axially disposed filtrate passages therein, bearings for the trunnions nxedly mounted inside the casing, a ltrate valve embodying a body portion xedly secured to an end wall of the casing concentric with the trunnion having the fluid passages therein, means yieldably urging the entire lter assembly toward the xedly secured valve body portion thereby holding the ltrate-pas'sage-containing-trunnion in endwise contact with said fiXedly mounted filtrate valve body, means to rotate the filter assembly, and means to introduce material to be ltered into the casing.

7. In a continuous rotary filter, a closed casing having end walls and forming a tank for the material to be iiltered, a rotary filter assembly having trunnions at each end thereof, one of said trunnions having ltrate passages therein discharging from the end thereof, bearings fixedly mounted inside the casing and supporting the trunnions .for rotational and slight axial motion, a filtrate valve embodying a body portion Xedly secured to the end Wall of the casing concentric with the trunnion having the fluid passages therein, means urging the rotary filter assembly bodily toward the filtrate valve and holding the end of the trunnion containing the filtrate passages yieldably in contact with said fiXedly mounted iiltrate valve body, means to rotate the filtrate assembly while the same is urged against the fixedly securedltrate valve body, and means to introduce material to be filtered into the Casing.

8. In a continuous rotary filter, a completely closed casing having end walls forming a tank for the material to be filtered, a rotary filter assembly having trunnions at each end thereof, one of said trunnions having axially disposed filtrate passages therein which discharge through the end of said trunnion, bearings for the trunnions xedly mounted inside the casing, said trunnions being mounted for rotation and axial sliding movement in said bearings, a filtrate valve embodying a portion xedly secured to the end Wall of the casing facing the end of the trunnion having the filtrate passages therein, fluid pressure means located adjacent the trunnion opposite the valve and yieldably urging the entire filter assembly bodily toward the ltrate valve and holding the end of the trunnion with said passages therein against the face of the valve, means to rotate the iilter assembly, and means to introduce the material to be filtered into the casing.

9. In a filter embodying a closed casing with a rotary filter assembly therein having `a trunnion with ltrate passages therein discharging through the outer end of the trunnion and a fixedly mounted ltrate valve disposed at the discharge end of said trunnion and operable to withdraw ltrate from the assembly, the improvement comprising a bearing for the trunnion mounted within the filter casing, said bearing supporting the trunnion for rotation and for slight axial movement, and mechanism located at the opposite end of the lter assembly from said filtrate valve yieldably urging the entire assembly toward lthe filtrate valve and thereby holding the end of the trunnion in fluid tight engagement With the face of said filtrate valve.

JOHN W. LITTLE'.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 72,254 Winants Dec. 17, 1867 550,353 Parker Nov. 26, 1895 1,368,618 Faber Feb. 15, 1921 1,515,130 Morrison Nov. 11, 1924 1,558,038 Mount Oct. 20, 1935 2,152,900 Manning Apr. 4, 1939 2,167,322 Cuno et al July 25, 1939 2,174,748 Hunter Oct. 3, 1939 2,352,330 Lee June 27, 1944 2,406,065 Dickinson et al. Aug. 20, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 125,387 Germany Nov. 23, 1901 

